What Is a Yoni Egg? Basics for Beginners
Curious about yoni eggs? More and more women are discovering this ancient tool as part of a practice that can reconnect them with their own feminine energy, with amazing results! Read on to see how they could work for you.
You probably know what a yoni is if you landed here, but just in case: Yoni= vagina. That’s a quick and easy definition when it comes to explaining what you do with a yoni egg or yoni steam, but it’s really more than that. A woman’s yoni is her sacred space, source of her power and creativity. It encompasses the vulva and the womb as well. That whooole magical region!
With that out of the way, let’s talk eggs!
What Are They?
Yoni eggs are egg shaped (of course) crystals made to be put inside the vagina. Many will have a hole drilled through them to allow use of a string to make the egg easier to remove. Traditionally, they were made of jade (you’ll see them referred to as “Jade Eggs” as well), but now yoni eggs made out of many different stones are available. They’re used for various reasons, from toning the pelvic floor muscles to relieving vaginal dryness to healing from trauma.
Who Should Use Them?
Do you have a yoni? Question answered!
Okay, there are a few cases where using an egg isn’t recommended (I’ll go over that more in the Safety section below), but basically, yes- great for anybody with a yoni.
For the mama who pees a little when she sneezes.
For the woman who doesn’t look forward to sex anymore because she’s so incredibly dry.
For ANY woman who feels a bit disconnected from her own body, and wants to strengthen her relationship with herself.
The yoni is one of the most important yet least considered parts of our body. We don’t like to talk about it. It’s true, right? An alarming amount of people find it shameful, embarrassing, even gross (which makes me want to just cry buckets). We think that problems related to our lady parts are “just part of being a woman”. No one wants to hear about that, so just don’t think about it and go on with your day. Never mind that you’re so dry sex hurts, or you pee when you sneeze, or itching all. Day. Long.
No more! Ladies- speak up. Get loud. Take up space. We are HALF THE WORLD POPULATION, sisters.
Our bodies aren’t shameful in the least, they are wondrous and deserve to be very well cared for.
Yoni eggs are one beautiful way to accomplish that.
History
Jade eggs were originally a Taoist practice from ancient China. Jade is a precious healing stone, and sexual organs were considered to be the center of overall physical health, so it was a match made in heaven! Not just any woman in the community was given access to the gift of the jade egg-only the Empress and the Emperor’s concubines were allowed to use them. The thought process was that women held such absolute badass power in their vaginas, and only the highest in the land could be given the opportunity to unlock that power with a yoni egg.
Badass Vaginas is available as a band name. First come first served.
See, a yoni egg practice offers more than just excellent physical benefits. As I mentioned above, this is the source of our energy, our creativity. It’s our center, and when we aren’t connected with it, that shows up in our lives. Also, you get to experience all of the healing properties of the crystal the egg is made of!
Benefits
It bears mentioning first that a *super duper tight* yoni is NOT the goal. You want to master the use of the muscles here and have them performing optimally. Walking around with your pelvic floor muscles constantly contracted isn’t helping anything.
There are multiple exercises that can be done with a yoni egg, but one of the basics is just adding it to your Kegels. Using the muscles of your vagina to move the egg up and down as you contract and relax makes this move WAY more effective. It’s called biofeedback- the presence of the egg gives you a more clear feeling for when you’re contracting or relaxing.
“Simply holding the egg in standing up against gravity provides increased work for the pelvic floor musculature.”
Dr. Erin Weber, DPT
Strengthening your pelvic floor muscles can help with symptoms like bladder incontinence (that’s the sneeze-pee, y’all) and prolapse, aaaand…
Make sex even better!
This is also a BIG reason why many women are drawn to the yoni egg. Pelvic floor muscles that are strong and healthy provide:
*More lubrication
*Increased sensation during sex
*Stronger orgasms
“Dryness is often a consequence of the loss of tone and function of the tissues of the vagina. Natural lubrication improves with increased tone and strengthening of these muscles as arousal and muscle contractions become more vigorous and productive.”
Stephanie Schull, PhD
Safety Advice
Which Crystal Should I Use?
Whenever you’re buying crystals, you want to be sure that you’re getting the real deal. But when you’re choosing a yoni egg, it’s critical. Some stones just aren’t safe to insert into your body- typically they are too soft/ can’t get wet or have toxic ingredients.
Stones that are hard, non-porous, and safe to use as yoni eggs include:
There are others, but those are some of the most popular.
Sourcing
It’s important to be sure that the yoni egg you purchase is GIA certified. Again, you want to make sure you’re getting what you pay for, and that your egg is 100% safe to use. This is your most sacred space- she deserves only the best!
“Certified yoni eggs ensures customers that the yoni eggs or jade eggs they receive from us are safe, pure and authentic gemstones that have not been heated, dyed or altered.”
Gemstone Yoni
Will It Get Stuck?
Nope! This is a really common question. Let me put your mind at ease- nothing of this size is going to get past your cervix. Much like tampons can’t get “lost” in your body, the egg would not be able to travel further than the end of the vaginal canal. A lot of women like to use drilled eggs with a string for easier removal. Even without the string, I promise, it still won’t get lost!
Contraindications
Pregnancy: Yoni eggs are a fantastic tool for postpartum, but most sources recommend waiting 6-8 weeks after welcoming your little babe (and also checking in with your doctor or midwife before you start.
IUDs: The concern here is the IUD strings catching on the string from the egg, which could cause the IUD to move inside your body. Two options to get around this are:
- Use a non-drilled egg
- Try a horizontally drilled egg
Have women with IUDs used yoni eggs without any trouble? Of course! That being said, you deserve to know about any risks before making that decision.
Hypertonic Pelvic Floor
Remember when I was talking about how we *don’t* want a suuuuper tight yoni? Believe it or not, you can actually be too tight. It’s called a hypertonic pelvic floor, and it’s more common that you think. Some signs are:
*Painful sex
*Pelvic pain
*Low back or tailbone pain
*Constipation
*Incomplete empyting of the bladder
*Painful urination
If you think you have a hypertonic PF, you’re going to want to go about your yoni egg practice a little differently. Muscles that are already too tight aren’t going to like being put to work- we have to relax them first.
If this is you, I’d recommend talking to a pelvic floor PT or yoni egg instructor before you get started. Once you can properly allow the muscles to relax, you’ll be able to work on the strengthening piece as well.
Tell me what you think! Do you have more questions? Want to tell us how much you love your yoni egg?
I’m always more than happy to answer your questions and continue the discussion, especially when it comes to women’s health! It’s a passion of mine, and I’m super excited when I can help other women reconnect with their bodies.
Stay tuned for more on yoni eggs…and their friends, the lovely yoni wands! As far as the wands go, I’ve got one word: LUSCIOUS!
See you soon!
-Jacki